<h2>Name</h2>
<p>
The Surah takes its name from verse 4 in which the word <em>hujurat</em> has
occurred.
</p>
<h2>Period of Revelation</h2>
<p>
Traditions show and the subject matter of the Surah also supports the
same that this Surah is a collection of the commandments and
instructions sent down on different occasions, which have been put
together because of the relevancy of the theme. Moreover, the
traditions also show that most of these commandments were sent down
during the final stage of the Holy Prophet's life at Madinah. For
instance, about verse 4 the commentators state that it was sent down
concerning the Bani Tamim whose deputation had arrived in Madinah and
started calling out to the Holy Prophet from outside the apartments
(<em>hujurat</em>) of his wives, and according to all biographical books on the
Holy Prophet's life this deputation had visited Madinah in A. H. 9.
Likewise, about verse 6 a large number of the traditions of <em>Hadith</em>
confirm that it was sent down concerning Walid bin Uqbah whom the Holy
Prophet had sent to collect the zakat from the Bani al-Mustaliq, and
it is well known that Walid bin Uqabah had become a Muslim on the
conquest of Makkah.
</p>
<h2>Subject Matter and Topics</h2>
<p>
The subject matter of this Surah is to teach the Muslims the manners
worthy of true believers. 
</p>
<p>
In the first five verses they have been
taught the manners they should observe with regard to Allah and His
Messenger. 
</p>
<p>
Then, they have been given the instruction that it is not
right to belive in every news blindly and to act according to it,
without due thought. If information is received about a person, a
group or a community, it should be seen carefully whether the means of
the information is reliable or not. If the means is not reliable, it
should be tested and examined to see whether the news is authentic or
not before taking any action on it. 
</p>
<p>
Then, it has been told what
attitude should the other Muslims adopt in case two groups of the
Muslims fall to mutual fighting. 
</p>
<p>
Then the Muslims have been exhorted
to safeguard against the evils that corrupt collective life and spoil
mutual relationships. Mocking and taunting each other, calling others
by nicknames, creating suspicions, prying into other people's affairs
and back biting are the evils which are not only sins in themselves but
they also corrupt society. Allah has mentioned all these evils
separately and forbidden them as unlawful. 
</p>
<p>
After this, the national
and racial distinctions that cause universal corruption in the world
have been condemned. Nations and tribes and families pride of Ancestry
and their looking down upon others as inferior to themselves and their
pulling down others only for the sake of establishing their own
superiority is an important factor that has filled the world with
injustices and tyranny. Allah in a brief verse has cut at the root of
this evil by stating that all men are descendants of the same one pair
and their division into tribes and communities is only for the sake of
recognition, not for boasting and pride, and there is no lawful basis
of one man's superiority over the other except on the basis of moral
excellence. 
</p>
<p>
In conclusion, the people have been told that the real
thing is not the verbal Profession of the Faith but to believe in
Allah and His messenger truly, to obey them in practical life and to
exert sincerely with one's self and wealth in the cause of Allah. True
believers are only those who adopt this attitude. As for those who
profess Islam merely orally without affirmation by the heart and then
adopt an attitude as if they had done someone a favor by accepting
Islam, may be counted among the Muslims in the world, may even be
treated as Muslims in society, but they cannot be counted as believers
in the sight of Allah.
</p>

